The narrative follows Sid Griffiths, an African American bassist in an interracial jazz ensemble fleeing Nazi-occupied Berlin for Paris in 1939. At the center of the group is Hieronymus Falk, a nineteen-year-old German-African trumpet prodigy whose talent sparks professional jealousy in Sid. After Falk is arrested by the Gestapo during a street raid, his fellow musicians believe he is lost forever. Fifty years later, Sid and his bandmate Chip travel to Berlin for the premiere of a documentary about Falk, forcing Sid to confront his own role in the events leading to his friend’s disappearance and the secret recording of their final song.
Jazz enthusiasts and students of wartime history read this for its technical depiction of the swing era and the specific dangers faced by "Rhineland Bastards" under the Third Reich. The book clarifies the precarious social position of Black performers in mid-century Europe. Readers walk away with a functional understanding of how artistic ambition and survival instincts collide during political upheaval, alongside a vivid reimagining of the lost contributions of Black musicians to the development of European avant-garde music.
Thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2011
- Language
- EN
